November 5th Rainy Day Recipes

Thanks to everyone who was able to visit us at market yesterday! One of the perks of setting up a market booth before dawn is getting to watch the sun rise over our vegetable stand, a beauty that I wish more market goers could witness. Once the sun did rise, we sampled up two lovely sautés for people to munch as they escaped from the rain under our tent.

Romanesco sautéed with Purple Hazi Carrots

Delicata Squash sautéed with Poblanos and Anaheim Peppers

Romanesco sautéed with Purple Hazi Carrots

We all eat with our eyes, and for this very reason it is important to not only make food delicious, but to make it beautiful as well. A meal can do so much more than simply sustain us. A meal can be art, a political statement, and a simple joy to be shared with friends and family. Romanesco, maybe more than any other vegetable provides us the opportunity to eat art, and visually it looks even more amazing when balanced with bright purple carrots. Customers were stealing bites out of the pan before I even finished cooking, so the picture at right shows the half-eaten dish.

Broccoli and Romanesco look and taste nicest in a sauté if you maintain their form throughout the cooking process. The shapes that we chop things into change their texture and flavor. So instead of “chopping” it, try to use your knife to cut off individual little trees. Set aside.

Slice the ends of your sweet onion and cut in half before making thin slices. Yesterday was probably the last day that we’ll have sweet onions, as their high sugar content doesn’t make them ideal for storing.

Heat up your pan to medium-high with olive oil coating the bottom. Once up to temp, add in the onion and let cook about 2 minutes.

Add in the romanesco and let cook covered 3-5 minutes.

While that’s cooking, slice up your carrots into thin discs. Often times purple vegetables end up becoming washed out after you cook them, but these Purple Hazi carrots retain their vibrant color in the cooking process. Add into the pan and continue to cook covered another couple minutes while you chop garlic.

Finely chop the elephant garlic and add it along with 1-2 pinches salt. Let cook another 3-5 minutes uncovered until the romanesco and carrots are cooked but still have some crunch.

Cut the ends off your delicata squash to make a flat surface, then stand it on end and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Make thin half-moon slices down the delicata. Set aside.

Finely chop the shallots and garlic.

Heat up your pan to medium-high with olive oil coating the bottom. Once up to temp, add in the shallots and let cook about 2 minutes.

Add in the sliced delicata and let cook covered about 4-6 minutes.

Chop the poblanos and Anaheims in half and rip out the seeds and stem (make sure to wash your hands after touching the spicy seeds). Chop each half into thin slices.

Add the poblanos, garlic, and 1-2 pinches of salt to the pan and stir around. Cover and let cook about another 3-5 minutes.

Let cook a couple more minutes to desired softness. Add more salt to taste, and enjoy! Customers last year said this dish was a hit at Thanksgiving. Personally, I love to eat it for breakfast with hot sauce, melted cheese, and a fried egg on top.